Breaking point
by penNameofthegods
Summary: Hephaestus is the only God that has to live in constant pain. what happens when the pain becomes all too much? rated T just incase ;) NEW CHAPTER 3!
1. Chapter 1: Our Love

Aphrodite's POV

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I am sitting there sipping my sparkling rose-water and nectar.

My mind drifting to my husband, I used to rue Hephaestus because of the arranged marriage and I never even tried to love him even though he loved me.

My lover was Ares his half-brother only now do I see that they are very alike; same build, (apart from the fact that Hephaestus is lame.) same golden eyes that are flecked with fire, the same burning determination but, Hephaestus uses his strong build for good and his golden eyes are soft, filled with emotion ; love, worry, care and wonder.

The day I shared **our** love was when Ares invited me and Eros to his temple. When we arrived he asked Eros if he would like to spar with his older half-brothers. Eros was like me and in no way a solder he was not a very good sword fighter but a wonderful archer I was so caught up with 'spending' time with Ares I did not see the look in his eyes.

Later on I heard Eros yell out and I ran out to the ring. He was bleeding and laying on the floor being held at all the other boy's sword points.

"Eros!" I screamed run to the ring. Ares grabbed my arm with a metal grip and coldly announces.

"This is a lesson Aphrodite a son of mine should be a solder or die trying to be!"

"No Ares let him go he is not a fighter" I pleaded too shocked to try any charm speak on him.

"Then he is a waste of my seed. A disgrace of my name!" Ares yells making Eros whimper. I snapped kicking Ares in the gut but it got me nowhere. He slammed me into a nearby wall. I yelped sinking my teeth into my lip trying not to cry.

He knelt next to me and moved the hair out of my ear and darkly whispered "you're a slut and nothing more! Leaving people unwanted children with no thought for any of your actions or the damage you leave and you're a let-down to Olympus so you will do what I say!"

I let out a loud sob before stopping myself from crying.

* * *

I was in our bedroom crying, my face pressed into my bed when there was a soft knock on my door.

"Go away" I murmured my vocal cords dry and stretched from all the crying. All of Hephaestus were maids are too nice and caring, but I heard someone softly come in and sit on my bed. A big warm hand carefully rested on my shoulder-blade.

"Aphrodite?" a soothing, kind and warm male voice asked curiously – Hephaestus. I did not move trying to get him to leave. "I talked to Eros… He told me some of what happened. I patched him up and gave him a bit of a talk about it - I'm not the best fighter myself." The smith god continued the tone of his last remark sounded like almost a smile.

I sat up and he put his arm around me and pulled me in my head rested on his chest I looked up at him and studied his face - One side was kind of handsome, he has a crooked nose the other side was …um… well rather ugly. his eye was too far out on his face and is always slightly droopy because, of the fact that his 'fall' from Olympus gave him a deep cut from his eyebrow to his cheek bone that runs over the side of his eye giving him a scar. Luckily he grew into his features his face now, filled and chiselled handsomely. The scar more faded less angry and red.

This man loves me I thought, not lust like Ares… how?

"How... How can you love me? I'm a slut! A slut and nothing more!" I howled into his chest "all the things I've done to you and you're the one here comforting ME after HE breaks my heart! You're the one who takes care of Eros, after all the things I've done to you" I started sobbing the tears racked my body.

He lifted my head with is fingers so, my eyes met his.

"Aphrodite, I love you I will always love you no matter what" he replied softly the words hanged in the air as the wiped the tears from my face.

* * *

He's late and I know something is wrong. I hear the front door open.

"Hefie is that you, you're late." I exclaim yelling into the next room.  
"I'm so sorry Dite" Hefie sighs as he lamely walks in, my eyes drawn to his copper crutch.  
"your leg hurting you Hun?" I say as I walk over to him giving him a concerned look before I lean in giving him a peck on the cheek.

"No… I was just … standing up to long today been give a lot of request that my fellow worker can't do [the Cyclopes]" he replies scratching the back of his head.

"Well sit down and I'll get you a HOT cup of nectar." I says sweetly "and how many times do I have to tell you to sit down more at work" I nag him while slipping off and hearing a groan from his braces that greatly help him walk I head of to the kitchen to get him a hot cup of nectar but, I don't believe his story and slip some camomile, Lavender and Rosemary into his boiling hot nectar.

I hand him the cup and watch as he takes a sip hoping he does not notices what I did to his nectar.

"Hmm… it a bit cold" Hefie mumbles staring into his nectar.

"That was boiling water next you'll want water from the Phlegethon" I remark taking the cup from him before placing it on the coffee table in front of him.  
" sweet chaos no! That stuff is disgusting!" he replies grinning. I raise my eyebrows at him before sitting down on the sofa with him.

"By the way I am going to be away for a couple of weeks to my chambers…" Hephaestus mummers looking down at the floor. He does this - the last time was when I was 'with' some deities, he was away for about five weeks and delivered most of his work late. He would always come back exhausted.

Whatever he did I would not let that happen again.

"No." I stated blankly.

"What!" Hephaestus exclaimed.

"I will not let you disappear off to you volcano without a word or any contact. I Love you too much to not see you for weeks on end!" I reply Infuriated

"Fine…."he said grumpy I thanked the gods for Hephaestus quiet nature but his frustration was clear because the fire in the fire-place was blazing wildly and glowing a strange red colour. He let out a sigh hulled himself out of the sofa a limped to bed…

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**Author's**** note:**

**This is my first fanfic so hopefully it not too Bad!  
constructive criticism is appreciated.  
I have Dyslexia so the grammar and stuff might suck but please R&R and thanks for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2: In the name of love

**disclaimer: I do not own greek mythology **

**Hehe no-one does! **

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I'm being pulled from the clutches of sleep, by a deep pain filled moan. I am starting to hold my breath, my heart is pounding in my ears. Waiting for that heart stopping noise.

"ARGH-Ah-ah!" the disturbing voice starts uttering.

I jump out of bed frantically searching the room, looking for the source of the noise. My eyes widen as I notice the crippled blacksmith god laying on the floor. squirming in pain his limbs flailing awkwardly, his shoulders rotated in. his limbs bent and spread out in nightmarish ways.

I start pacing the room - what do I do? I don't want to touch him; will it give him pain? My mind clouded with worry and sleep - frantically looking for ways help him.

"The resident healer!" I declare but the replies I got was even more unexpected than this whole event.

"No-ARGH-Leave-Ah-ah-now!" Hephaestus replied in a voice new to him. his voice is being characterised with pain and weakness. This making me more determined than before to help him.

I am kneeling my hand lightly resting on his back but Hephaestus starts being struck by a wave of pain making him cry out and before biting his lip, silting it open.

I'll have to take him to a healer but, the nearest one is Apollo and he lives right in the centre of Olympus and are temple is on the outskirts. I can't teleport that far with Hefie like this. I'll have to carry him. He is heavy but I can't leave him, I love him; I love him. A rose aura glows around me. The golden Ichor in my veins lacing with adrenaline.

I, Aphrodite the goddess of love will do anything in the name Love.

I start scooping him of the Ground, making him yell I hush him and run into night my blond hair tangled. Dressed in only a simple nightgown, sweet trickling down my face.

Hopefully no one will see us, not just for me but, for Hefie…

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**thanks for Reading sorry this chapter is small Hopeful the next one is bigger!**

**Reviews are an author's life blood so please R&R :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Apollo

**Hey Guys, sorry for the wait! (if it's any consolation I been waiting over a month of some of the stuff I am reading...) my life has been mental with 2x more homework than last year and other stuff that you probably don't care about. in other news I am on fiction press .(I know, I know...)**

**Lepria: yay! thank you! **

**Kirsty (guest): I guess you will have to wait and see mahahaha! *breaks into couching fit.***

**disclaimer: I don't own Greek mythology**

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Aphrodite's POV

Hephaestus is getting worse, his cries more and more frequent, filled with suffering and I cannot even see Apollo's house. I drenched in sweat and out of breath every inch of my body aches with the strain of carrying Him and using magic strong. It is running out, my aura fading. I look up and see the top of Apollo's temple.

* * *

"Apollo! Apollo!" I yell my voice quivering violently.

"Aphrodite?" a sleep wrapped Apollo starts to call out, leaning out of the door way.

"It's Hephaestus" I blubber normally I don't let myself cry in front of anyone not even Hephaestus but I can't help it.

Suddenly he cry out in torment arching his back but, the movement is too much on my throbbing arms. We are falling and I start positioning myself so I will take most of the weight. The wind knocked out of me as we land, Apollo running to help us.

"What the Hades!" Mumbles Apollo as he starts to scoop up Hephaestus resulting in Hephaestus letting out a heart shattering cry. Apollo's face turns hard and his eyes distant and I know that this is not the young cheery sun-god we all know and love but, ancient healer with powers that could kill you in a blink of an eye.

"Wait out in the hall" Apollo states no sympathy in his voice as he walks into his temple, I follow him into parts of the temple that none of the Olympians ever go in. "I said wait." Apollo monotony states again as he walks into a room before closing a mottled glass door.

I sit down, looking at a hall that leads down to what looks like a hospital ward with beds and medical equipment, I stare into the ward its empty apart from one, hidden from view by a curtain.

"L-lady Aphrodite m-may I ask w-what you're doing here?" A small and nervous voice inquires snapping me out of my numbing trance. I look around for the source of the voice finding a satyr, his legs encased in plaster sitting in a wheelchair next to the other chairs.

I reply by bursting into tears the night events replaying in my mind thinking about Hephaestus reaction about Apollo, I don't think it's wise to start tell everyone in Olympus.

"Don't cry my Lady, I won't judge your appearance" remarks the satyr vainly.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH A IDIOTIC THINK YOU IN A TIME LIKE THIS YOU STUPID SATRY!" I yell ichor pounding in my ears thinking about how he could think about appearance in a time like this! I look away from him. Catching my reflection in the silver of a chair; my hair wild and tangled the colour flicking between blonde, black and all the colours in between. My face bright red and puffy. Shame rises up in my bubbling mixture of feelings before I push it down cursing my ties to beauty and vanity.

Footsteps are pounding down the hallway I look up to see three goddesses running down the hall. I recognise them right away; Epione, Aegle and Iaso. They all give me sympathetic glances before opening the mottled glass door.

I stand up and start pacing, sobs shaking my body accompanied by some horrific noises from behind the glass door…


End file.
